Permit me please to quote from a pamphlet that fell into my hands on the subject of the essence of teshuvah. Its author is Rav Yonasan Aber shlita and it deals with various aspects of teshuvah (loosely but not accurately translated as “repentance”) offering suggestions on how to fulfill this mitzvah in our times. Written especially for bnei yeshivah it infuses the prospect with optimism instead of dread advocating a joyful approach that illuminates a new path for the sincere teshuvah seeker. A valuable aid to any Jew who is as he should be preoccupied with teshvuah during these intense days of mercy and forgiveness.
Every year when we make our resolutions we grapple with our personal history of defeat: Why do most of us fail to live up to our resolutions to improve our deeds? Why don’t we succeed at changing? Let’s look at the following passage a revolutionary approach that makes the concept of teshuvah most relevant to us as it discusses this very issue of perceived failure:
“This is a very painful question because there are many people — very many people — who truly and sincerely try to change yet they don’t succeed. They make up their minds to take charge of their lives. They make detailed plans and take on resolutions yet at the end of the year they look at themselves and see they are still exactly the same. All their beautiful plans have come to nothing. So they try again gearing up for a renewed battle with even more determination. With gritted teeth they make up their minds to improve — and again reality hits them in the face as all their resolutions fall down like a house of cards.… After this has repeated itself for many years despair sets in and they’re convinced that they’ll never succeed. Deep in their hearts they doubt that it’s really possible to change at all.
“What then is the true explanation? Why do so many people fail although they try to strengthen themselves?
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